Saturday, August 2, 2008

Hello, CSA blog/recipe fans. I admit I've not 'used' the blog this year so far. I'm sticking to both the website and the email newsletter for now. And, I'm wondering if the blog could be a recipe-only resource for CSA members: both our own and any others out there. Gardeners too, of course!

I could also just make posts that are single-vegetable specific for easier searching, I might try that too later this weekend.

So: I'm sending this post out today with a list of what will likely be in our boxes this next week, August 6th, 7th, and 8th. Please reply back in comments or directly to me: julia@mariquita.com if you have recipes or ideas on how to use this box. Thank you!!

Also one other tiny disclaimer: if you are a current Two Small Farms CSA member, the below list might change, depends on what the fields decide between now and harvest!!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

I’m a farmer, so when the fields are muddy and the tractors are parked I like to snuggle up on the couch with my most recent copy of Vogue Magazine. Sure, I get the agricultural trade journals, like the Ag Alert and the CAFF newsletter, but Jeffery Steingarten only writes for Vogue. Food is the lens through which I look at the world, and Mr. Steingarten is one of my favorite food writers. He must take evil glee in writing about food for a magazine that caters to size one women. For those of you who don’t read Vogue, The Man Who Ate Everything is great collection of his essays. To further my professional development I read all kinds of books about food and cooking, but sometimes the best food writing shows up in books that aren’t about food at all.

Right now I’m working my way through The French Revolution, by Thomas Carlyle. This is a “no-food” book. If it had been written now, instead of in 1833, the chapter I’m reading now might have been titled “The Women Who Had Nothing to Eat,” or “French Women Can’t Get Fat.” As Carlyle relates, generations of appalling Royal French agricultural policy combined with a freak August hailstorm that destroyed the nation’s grain crop to bring France to the brink of famine. Meanwhile, a Popular Assembly convenes at the Palace to create a new constitution for the nation. Day by day, legislators discuss the Rights of Man. Month by month the nation’s remaining grain reserves of are drawn down. To remind their leaders that “those with food have many problems, but those without it have only one,” the women of Paris rise up and storm Versaille. When they encounter bodyguards at the gates the women are turned back, but not before wounding two soldiers and killing one warhorse. They cook the horse. A day later, they penetrate to the Assembly as it debates criminal law. “What is the use of Penal Code?” the women shout. “The thing we want is Bread.”

But women don’t want to live off of bread alone. Culture evolves when there’s enough food available that people can chew their meals slowly and ruminate on what life means. Charles Darwin is so famous for his speculations concerning the origins of species that his food writing came as a surprise to me. In The Voyage of the Beagle , Darwin recounts stumbling over fossilized mastodon skulls on the Pampas and he ruminates on the implications of the shark’s teeth he finds imbedded in rocks high up in the Andes, but he also focuses his considerable forensic powers on his dinner plate. One night Darwin finds himself eating a jaguar. Jeffery Steingarten has yet to eat a jaguar. Another night, in the Falkland Islands, Darwin watches a gaucho catch a wild cow with a lariat and roast chunks of fresh beef over coals in a platter of it’s own skin. “If any worthy alderman had supped with us that evening,” Darwin writes, “’carne con cuero,’” without doubt, would soon have been celebrated in London!”

Jeffery Steingarten might try to test Darwin’s theory by hiring gauchos to capture a wild cow and prepare carne con cuero at a sophisticated supper club before discovering that there are no wild cows in London. Mr. Steingarten frequently makes fun of his skyscraping, cosmopolitan urbanity. But prior to reading The Voyage of the Beagle I‘d always thought of Darwin purely as an explorer of remote wilderness worlds. It turns out that even by 1836, when Darwin sailed on the Beagle, South America had already been profoundly changed by agriculture. In the Parana River delta Darwin describes vast, thorny thickets of wild peach and orange trees resulting from colonial orchards gone to seed. On the Pampas Darwin encounters thickets of feral cardoon over five hundred square miles in extension, and he reflects on the role that careless livestock husbandry has played in the degradation of the environment. It’s interesting to see articles in the food press these days that challenge the choices we consumers make when we feed ourselves, but Darwin was there first. In 1836, the environmental ethics of food production was true terra incognita.

Then there’s Beatrix Potter, the gentle storyteller of ordered English landscapes. In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, Beatrix Potter uses the soporific effects of lettuce as the dramatic device by which Farmer McGregor catches six bunnies. Before I flipped the third page I knew things wouldn’t go well for Farmer McGregor, but as a lettuce grower he had my sympathy. I put the Potter book down and turned to my copy of The Oxford Companion to Food, to learn more about the pharmacological properties of lettuce.

I learned that in the beginning there was Lactuca serriola, or wild lettuce, which grew on rocky or disturbed ground across Asia, North Africa, and Europe. In the spring wild lettuces are tender, with a bitter flavor that isn’t unpalatable if you’re starving. The plant earned a reputation as a somniferous herb. One variety of wild lettuce worked well enough as a relaxant to pick up the common name “wild opium.” The garden varieties of lettuce we know now as Lactuca sativa are cultivars improved from Lactuca serriola ruthless selection and assiduous cultivation on the part of farmers. It’s only in senescence that our lush, full-headed garden lettuces begin to look like their wild lettuce cousins, with long, tough, bitter leaves. And it’s only as it nears the bitter end of its life that Lactuca sativa retains any somniferous qualities. Sure enough, on page 23 of The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies there’s a picture of the bunnies nibbling on the lettuces, and Beatrix Potter shows the plants very far gone to seed. No wonder the Flopsy Bunnies got stoned. Don’t worry about the lettuces we’re sowing for you. When we harvest them, they’ll be young and tender. It’s a mark of how much lettuce has been changed that an herb once valued for inducing a dream-state can now be extolled as an invigorating salad green.

In the end, the Flopsy Bunnies are saved by a mouse. Beatrix Potter is no Steingarten, Carlyle, or Darwin. By lulling young readers with a drowsy tale of lettuce and bunnies, she makes the night comfy. But even for farmers like me, who might resent the fictional breaks she gives to varmints, there are reasons to admire Beatrix Potter. Carlyle and Darwin drew their readers’ attention to the dire consequences of shortsighted agricultural policy, but Beatrix Potter did something about it. She invested her earnings from her animal tales in farmland. She knew the best way to preserve the countryside is by protecting working farms, so that consumers can eat fresh, local food, farmers and farm workers remain gainfully employed, and the landscape is well husbanded. When Beatrix Potter passed away she passed her properties on to the National Trust, and today the land the Flopsy Bunnies paid for lies at the heart of England’s Lake Country National Park. I’m looking forward to a day when it’s in vogue for everyone who eats to take farming as seriously as Beatrix Potter did, and I see Community Supported Agriculture programs like the Two Small Farms CSA as a step in that direction. Thank you for your support.

Our CSA season starts March 19th, 20th, and 21st. We start deliveries in just 6 weeks. We'll be sending out real paper mailings with addressed envelopes in about a week, you can wait for that reminder too. Let us know if you DON'T want a postal reminder, saying 'no postal mail this time please' by Friday Feb. 8th. thank you.

Two Small Farms Employment: We're looking for two drivers for our 2008 season. Must be reliable, on time, and have an excellent driving record (you need to show your dmv print out), (no special drivers license needed) 20-30 hours a week, Tues-Friday, or Wed-Thursday; some lifting involved. pay = $13-$14 depending on experience. Located in Watsonvillecontact Jeanne or Steve via email or phone: csa@highgroundorganics.com or 831 786 0286

For a time around the turn of the last century the Pajaro Valley was considered the largest apple growing district in the United States. By some accounts the valley floor from Corralitos to Aromas was nearly carpeted with trees. The town of Watsonville itself was dominated by apple packing sheds, apple driers, and juice and vinegar factories.

By the middle of the century, as vast plantings in Washington and Oregon came into production, the tide had turned. Because there are fewer problems with apple diseases and insects, land and water are cheap and plentiful, and the apples themselves attain better color and size in the Pacific Northwest, growers in the Pajaro Valley couldn’t compete. Strawberries, vegetables, and floral crops eventually replaced the apples and the majority of orchards were removed—pushed over by bulldozers and set alight in enormous piles.

And so it raised a few eyebrows when I announced this year that we’ll be bucking that trend by planting apples and pears here at our home farm. But to me it makes perfect sense.

With the help of my friend Freddy Menge, a tireless advocate of rare and forgotten apples, we grafted over 25 varieties onto trees that had been planted several years ago as a demonstration orchard at the Redman House site where we lease land. Last season we let them fruit for the first time, and tasting some of the varieties was a revelation to me. That the selection available to us in supermarkets has been narrowed down to half a dozen or so varieties is certainly based on factors other than flavor because these apples had the most complex, juicy, delicious flavor of any I had ever tried.

It occurred to me that through the CSA we had the perfect venue for selling these rare but delicious apples—apples that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. We are always looking for ways to offer a wider variety of fruit to our customers. So this year we have decided to plant four of our favorite varieties from that demonstration orchard along with 6 different varieties of pears here at our home farm.

One of the apple varieties we’ll be planting is Hudson’s Golden Gem—first introduced in the 1930s. It is clear that its appearance alone has limited its popularity. While wholesale markets demand bright colors and shiny skins, the Golden Gem has a dull, rough, russetted skin and a brownish yellow color. Underneath that skin, however, is a sweet, crisp, pear-like flesh unlike anything I have ever tried. The other three apples are Rubinettes, Waltannas (named after a couple named Walt and Anna), and Jonagolds (the one newer variety we like a lot).

We’re also excited about planting pears. Of the six pear varieties we have chosen, three are French butter pears (Hardy Beurré, Beurré Superfine, Easter Beurré). The others are called Harrows Delight, Warren, and Seckel. Seckels are an American variety, developed near Philadelphia at the end of the 18th century. They’re small and not suited for long distance traveling, but are fine textured, juicy, and syrupy—a perfect CSA fruit.

Putting some of our steeper hillside slopes into perennial plantings makes perfect sense from a land management standpoint as well. Planting annual vegetables on these hillsides requires extensive tillage, taxing our equipment and tractor drivers and exposing the soil to erosion. When the orchard is established we will plant grass between the tree rows. The grass will provide protective cover and only require a mowing pass or two each year.

We’re awaiting our first delivery of trees this week, and will be keeping our crew busy during the next month planting root stock and grafting on the varieties from scion wood we’ve been collecting. It feels good to be doing our part to preserve Watsonville’s orcharding heritage.

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2. Signing up for 2008

If you intend to sign up forTwo Small Farms Vegetable CSA Boxes in 2008 pleasetell us now. If you're able to send a check now, that's great. For those that prefer to wait until Feb/early March to send your check, no problem, we're just putting out an early call for those that want to send $ now. Thanks much.

prices: 9 weeks: $180; 9 weeks with flowers: $23436 weeks full season with discount: $691; full season with flowers with discount: $898 4 weeks (new members only): $80; 4 weeks with flowers: $104

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3. We are seekingpick up sitehosts for: Carmel (mouth of the valley preferred), Seaside, and Santa Cruz Westside. Call Shelley in the office if you're interested or would just like further info.

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4. Two Small Farms Employment:

We hired Zelda's replacement: She's the amazing Shelley Kadota! Welcome to Shelley. Zelda continues to be part of our farms: she's currently helping Stephen with some on farm planting projects. You may occasionally see her at the Sunday Mountain View Farmers market too.

We're looking for two drivers for our 2008 season. Must be reliable, on time, and have an excellent driving record (you need to show your dmv print out), (no special drivers license needed) 20-30 hours a week, Tues-Friday, or Wed-Thursday; some lifting involved. pay = $13-$14 depending on experience. Located in Watsonville

Note: Some of you enjoy getting Andy's Ladybug Letter as well as this newsletter. There are different articles posted there: it's Andy's Writing Venue. In late November the Mariquita Farm Main computer was stolen and we lost well over 1000 names on our mailing list. (I was backing up incorrectly, I'm smarter about it now, and we didn't lose any of Andy's writings or any photos! phew.) Please consider signing up again or trying it out for the first time, thank you! The latest article Andy wrote was a slightly snotty piece that outlined what he thinks newspaper food sections SHOULD write about in 2008.

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6. Thanks to Heidi of 101 Cookbooks for writing sweet things about our farm AND a great cabbage soup recipe to boot. Read her post.

It's worth visiting just to see her remarkable food photography. It's takes Heidi to make cabbage soup look fabulous! -julia

Holiday Gift Certificates and December Yuletide Boxes: You can ordergift certificates anytime. Email or call our office for info. Gift Certificates can be purchased for 4, 9 or 36 weeks for 2008. Wecan email you a gift certificate you can print up so you havesomething to wrap up if you like.

We're looking for two drivers for our 2008 season. Must be reliable,on time, and have an excellent driving record (you need to show yourdmv print out), (no special drivers license needed) 20-30 hours aweek, Tues-Friday, or Wed-Thursday; some lifting involved. pay =$13-$14 depending on experience. Located in Watsonville contact Jeanne or Steve via email or phone:csa@highgroundorganics.com or 831 786 0286

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Here are some adorable letters from a field trip with a local school. (it's the one Andy and Julia's kids currently attend.) These letterswere written to 'farmer Andy' by first and second graders from Mt. Madonna School.One little girl 'wishes she knew our son' and another boy wants Andy to have all the gold in the world. (I'm linking to the photos of the letters via my flickr account due to some computer changes we're making that are taking longer than expected.)

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Winter Habitat Restoration at High Ground Organics Farm

Come celebrate the winter rains & the New Year by planting thousands ofnative grasses and wildflowers in order to restore the farm edges to adiverse and thriving habitat. We will work from 10 am - 12:30 pm followed by a potluck lunch, a farm tour and bird watching. Sat. Dec.29, 2007 & Sat. Jan. 12, 2007 Call Laura Kummerer at #831-761-8694 for directions & information.

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Butternut Squash Risotto Recipefrom my friend Elise at Simply Recipes, the photo alone is worthpondering making this recipe. Maybe you still have a butternut squashsitting in your kitchen! I have a few winter squashies waiting to becooked outside my kitchen door –Julia

If you want the simplest preparation for your lingering butternut butare not a frequent squash-cooker: cut it in half, remove seeds, andbake it in a glass dish cut sides down until it’s soft all the waythrough. THEN you can puree all the meat (remove from the skin first) forpumpkin bread and pie. You can make soup. And when you pull the two halves out of the oven: you can serve onewith butter, salt and pepper with dinner. One side dish done! Sweet, savory, healthy.

2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil (I used a fresh bottle of walnutoil and it was divine)

S & P to taste

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Freshly chopped parsley or cilantro

Whisk together the citrus juice, zest, salt, pepper, cumin and oil.Julienne carrots on a mandolin or other grater. If you've got sharpknives and the skill julienne the carrots with just your knives andknowledge. Pour dressing over carrots. Stir in parsley or cilantro, orjust use it as garnish for the top if presentation matters to yourtable.

How to store this week's bounty: all but the butternut squash should go in the fridge in plastic bags. All winter squash should be stored in a dry, cool, and dark place. Both the turnip and beet greens can be used as you might other cooking greens such as chard or kale. They are best if used within a day or two.

Soup Celery, also known as cutting celery, is an herb that in our house we use in many places where celery flavor is sought after: sauteed with onions as a soup base for instance. It's leaves can also be used raw in a salad: a classic lettuce salad, a rice or pasta salad, etc. It has a true celery flavor and as long as that flavor doesn't disrupt the rest of the dish, cutting celery leaves can be used in most places Italian parsley is used.

The white carrots are best for roasting, but the orange can be eaten raw in salads or cooked____________________________

2) A Mysterious Vegetable by CSA member Will Juncosa (submitted earlier this summer)

When I opened my bag of Two Small Farms fresh organic delights two weeks ago, right on the top was the weirdest vegetable I have ever seen. Resembling a green cauliflower, instead of a tree like solid canopy, it had curving cones made of opposing logarithmic spirals that would appear undeniably psychedelic to anyone who was young and crazy in the 1960’s. Even my pet cockatiel looked at it apprehensively for a while before cautiously approaching it for a nibble.

My first thought was, "What’s going to happen to me when I eat this thing?" The next thought was, "Where do these guys get these ‘mystery’ vegetables from anyway?" Then, thankfully, reason and the irresistible urge to figure things out kicked in. It’s an Italian heirloom, Broccoli Romanesco, and the 3 dimensional ‘Fibonacci fractal’ style logarithmically spiraling cones have a sound scientific explanation.

The spirals are formed according to the Fibonacci sequence, a numerical series that starts with 1,1 with each subsequent number being formed by the sum of the previous two (1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8…yielding the series: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13 etc. ad infinitum). Many plants have leaves that spiral around their branches in proportions corresponding to numbers of this sequence. Scientists have created logarithmic spirals based on the Fibonacci sequence by letting droplets of a magnetized liquid fall in a bowl of silicone oil that was magnetized around the rim. The droplets organized themselves into the same pattern seen in the mystery vegetable as well as in sunflowers, daisies, artichokes pineapples, many other plants and even spiral galaxies.

Apparently, a plant growth hormone called auxin behaves like the magnetized droplets, and creates ‘primordia’ that develop into the plant structures that make up the spirals. If you don’t believe me and think I’m living in a 1960’s psychedelic haze, you can read an article on this subject in Science News, Vol. 172, July 21, 2007. In the meantime, I’ll just be quiet and eat my vegetables, no matter how mysterious they are.

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Thanks to Will for writing up this piece. For fans of Andy's writing, be sure to sign up for email alerts of his blog postings, he will continue 2-4 times a month throughout the winter

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3) The Last Week of 2007!

Our last week for delivering veggies is THIS WEEK - November 14/15/16. A big thanks to all our members and our hosts! It's been a wonderful year and we thank you for sharing it with us. We will be sending out a newsletter in February with the details and info on the 2008 season. Or check our website.Gift certificates are available for those who are already in the gift giving mindset! Any increments are available, but the most popular is the 4 week trial - $80 for just the veggies, or $104 includes veggies plus flowers.

A one time only, "Yuletide" box is being offered for the week before Christmas. The cost is $25 and all boxes must be prepaid by check. We will only be delivering to a few pick up sites. You must be able to pick up the box on the scheduled day and within in the scheduled time frame.

Thursday, December 20th: Santa Cruz High Street, and Monterey (pick up site Unitarian Church)

The content of the boxes will be "mysteries" but most likely will include winter squash, potatoes, carrots, cooking greens, fennel, leeks, and more. Contact Zelda to confirm: 831-786-0625, csa@twosmallfarms.com; and mail in your check to Two Small Farms, PO Box 2065, Watsonville, CA 95077.__________________________________________

5) Upcoming Habitat Restoration Events at High Ground Organics Farm

As High Ground farm slows down for the winter months to rest and replenish itself, the plants and animals of the wetland and grassland surrounding it are abounding with life. You are invited to continue your connection with the farm by joining in on our volunteer habitat restoration days throughout the winter. Laura K. is planning two volunteer opportunities in November and will have planting days in December, January and February. The November dates and details are listed below. Check your e-newsletters for specific planting days in December, January and February.

Please call Laura Kummerer (831)761-8694 for more details!

NOVEMBER RESTORATION EVENTS:SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2007 (10am-1pm)-Come help tend the myriad of native grasses and sedges we planted last year to provide wildlife habitat and a buffer between the farm fields and the wetland. We will work together from 10-12:30 and share a potluck lunch and nature walk after.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2007 (9am-2pm)-Come help remove a colony of invasive grasses that are crowding out a healthy stand of native coastal prairie bunch grasses. After the invasive grasses are removed we will spread out a mixture of native grass seeds so that they can germinate in the winter rains and re-colonize their ground. We will work together with a group of Boy Scouts during this event from 9-12 with a pot-luck lunch and bird watching and than return to plant seeds in the afternoon._______________________________________

Operated by High Ground Organics in Watsonville, just off of Hwy 1 and the Riverside Drive exit. It will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm throughout the winter (closed the Friday after Thanksgiving). They will also be offering some of Mariquita Farm items as well.____________________________________

Preheat oven to 375. Place the stock ingredients in a large soup pot, cover, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the tofu into small, bite-sized cubes and set aside in a baking dish. Combine the ginger, garlic, chiles, oil and 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce in a heavy skillet, saute for a few seconds, and then add to the tofu. Gently toss the tofu until evenly coated. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring twice to roast evenly. Remove the chili halves if using.

Strain the stock into another soup pot. Add the baked tofu and the carrots and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the shredded greens. When the soup returns to a simmer, remove from the heat and add the sesame oil and the remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Serve immediately, scattering freshly sliced scallions into each bowl.

For the Dressing....6 oz fresh cranberries, (or if fresh are unavailable, use frozen. add the still frozen cranberries to the saucepan and stir several times until the dressing comes to a boil; or use canned whole cranberries and their juice, omit the sugar and water in the recipe and simmer uncovered).1/2 tsp freshly grated orange peelJuice of 1 orange plus water to make 1 cup1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, to taste1 jalapeno or other chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

Preheat oven to 400. Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl, drizzle them with the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss well to coat evenly. Spread the squash on an un-oiled baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring twice during roasting. Spread the chopped walnuts on an end of the baking sheet for the last 5 minutes of roasting. The finished squash should be soft and lightly browned and the walnuts fragrant. Reserve the walnuts.

While the squash roasts, rinse the cranberries and discard any that are soft or discolored (if using fresh). Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a partially covered non-reactive sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes. Stir well, mashing any unpopped cranberries. Remove form the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the roasted squash and the dressing. Refrigerate until cooled to room temperature. Mince the celery, core and dice the apple, and stir them into the salad. Add the reserved walnuts and chill for about 20 minutes before serving.

ROASTED BEETS

Just cut them into chunks and roast them with olive oil, S & P until they are tender.

Preheat oven to 375. Wash, trim and wrap beets individually in foil. Place in a shallow pan and roast until tender. A sharp kitchen paring knife should pierce through the foil easily. Set aside to cool. Mix dressing by combining all ingredients except oil. When all ingredients are smooth, whisk in the oil and set aside. Many people don't prepare fresh beets because of the staining juices. Wearing laytex or vinyl gloves will protect your hands and preparing on a covered surface will protect your cutting board. I often roast beets without wrapping and use them skin included. However, this is an alternative method. Whatever method you use, it is well worth the effort! Unwrap the beets, and rub away skin. Slice into wedges and set into your dish. Spoon curry over the beets and serve at room temperature.

Place turnips in saucepan; add remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover. (You may also add other root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, etc.) Simmer until tender. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees 1/2 hour. Serve with rice or chicken. 2-3 servings.

Turnip Tips, adapted from "From Asparagus to Zucchini"

*Eat turnips raw. Slice or thickly julienne and add to vegetable platter or eat alone with or without dip.*Grate raw into salads.*Bake turnips alone for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees, basted with oil, or bake along with other seasonal roots.*Cook turnips with roasting meats.*Mash or scallop turnips, just like you would potatoes.* Dice turnips into soups or stews, and julienne into stir fries.Turnip Greens Meal

Put all ingredients in a large pot, in the order listed. Bring mixture to boiling point, stir, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 or 20 minutes, or until potato is tender. Serve with a chilled fruit and yogurt accompaniment.Baked Squash with Rosemary and Honey,More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden, Renee Shepherd and Fran Raboff

Preheat oven to 375. Place squash skin side up in a greased baking pan and bake 35 minutes, until softened. Turn Squash over. Combine butter with honey androsemary and spread about 2 teaspoons of the mixture over each squash piece. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until squash is bubbly.More Recipes

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don't have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blogpage: http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

1) In your box this week2) Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes?3) 2007 Season drawing to an end... and extra boxes for next week and gift certificates are available4) Yuletide Mystery box5) Redman House Farm Stand Open Weekends Through the Winter5) Benefit dinner for the Ventana Wilderness Alliance on Nov. 11th6) Photos7) Recipes8) Which Farm?9) Unsubscribe10) Two Small Farms Contact Information11) Farm Bill Article written by Michael Pollan for the New York Times_____________________________

1) In your box this week: Potatoes, Yellow Carrots, Tatsoi, Celery, a Winter Squash (either Thelma Sanders, similar to acorn OR Delicata), either a head of lettuce OR Salad Mix, Sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem Artichokes), and a mystery item.This week's vegetable list: We try to have it updated by Monday night, sometimes by Mon. am

How to store this week's bounty: all but the winter squash should go in the fridge in plastic bags. All winter squash should be stored in a dry, cool, and dark place.

Also: for all of you interested in the Farm Bill, we (Jeanne, Julia, Zelda, and by association, Steve and Andy too) liked what Michael Pollan wrote about the farm bill in his op ed piece in the NYT. It's LONG, so it's pasted in as the last item in this email: #11________________________________

2) Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes by Andy

The Jerusalem artichokes in my fields aren’t artichokes, and they’re not from Jerusalem. So what are they?

Scientists call Jerusalem artichokes Helianthus tuberosa. Helios is Greek for sun, and anthus means flower, so the Jerusalem artichoke is a sunflower that makes a tuber. A tuber is an enlarged, subterranean stem, not a root, with buds that can send out roots, other stems, or leaves. Botanists will tell you that plants evolve a tuberous habit to survive harsh environmental conditions. A tuberous plant can survive freezing weather or blazing drought because its tubers are protected under an insulating blanket of soil. When rain finally does come and temperatures favor growth, the underground tubers are stimulated to sprout stems and greenery, and the plant grows again. If conditions get hot and dry again, or freezing cold, the life force of the plant retreats from the foliage back down the stems into the tubers that nest protected in the soil.

The sugars and proteins the tuberous plant stores in their tissues make many of them valuable crops for people. The potato, for example, is a tuberous member of the Solanaceae, from the Andes, where hot days and cold nights make survival a constant challenge. Potatoes are agriculture’s most commercial tuber, but many other plant families have contributed tuberous crops to agriculture. Anu, or Tropaeolum tuberosum, is an edible tuberous nasturtium, also from the Andes. The yam, Dioscorea alata, is a sweet tuber from Africa.

The French explorer Champlain encountered Indians encountered in North America cooking the tubers of a sprawling Helianthus with yellow flowers, and he took some samples back to Europe. The Italians dubbed the new plants “ girasole articocco.” The Italian verb girar means to turn, and sole means sun. Sunflowers turn on their stems during the day so that they’re always tracking the sun, facing east at dawn and facing west in the evening. The English, showing the sensitivity for nuance and the spiritual touch that’s made them such an influence in the Middle East, heard the Italian girasole as “Jerusalem,” and named the plants “Jerusalem artichokes.”

There is some sense to calling the Helianthus tuberosa an “artichoke,” since the flesh of the tuber tastes faintly of artichoke, and both sunflowers and artichoke are members of the Compositae. Plants in the Compositae are distinguished by their flower heads, which are composed of many independent florets fused into one apparent common flower head. The open face of a sunflower crawls with bees because it is really the face of a community, not an individual, and the bees visit every tiny flower as they go about harvesting nectar.

But where the common garden sunflower makes one huge head, the Jerusalem artichoke is multi-branched, and makes many small flowers. Helianthus tuberosa produce seeds, but many of the seeds are sterile. The Jerusalem artichoke propagates itself by spreading its tubers underground. In a garden setting, Jerusalem artichokes can quickly morph from a crop into a weed if the gardener doesn’t remove every last piece of tuber from the soil. I’m not worried about Jerusalem artichoke weeds infesting my field, because the tubers we don’t harvest the gophers will.

After they flower, Jerusalem artichoke plants die back. As the stalks wither they take on a hard, fibrous character. Some of the plants are fourteen feet high. It’s easy to cut the dry stalks down with machetes, but trying to incorporate the tough, woody stems back into the soil would be like trying to plough acres of hemp door mats under, so we pile the stalks into piles after harvest and burn them. We was the soil from the tubers and bag them for shipment or storage. Jerusalem artichokes are popular with restaurants in the winter because they make rich soups and gratins. Some people enjoy them sliced thin and served raw. The texture of raw Jerusalem artichoke is similar to the water chestnut.

There are tons of tubers to dig up and we don’t have enough space in our refrigerator to store them all, but storage won’t be a problem. By their very nature, tubers store well in the ground, so we will leave the Jerusalem artichokes in the soil and dig them up as needed. We’ll dig up the tubers we don’t sell right before they re-sprout in late February, and plant them out in a new patch of ground for our 2008 crop. What is a Jerusalem artichoke? It’s a starchy, flavorful and versatile Native American crop that’s easy to grow, pretty to look at, simple to store, and cheap to plant.

Our last week for delivering veggies is NEXT WEEK - November 14/15/16. If you are not signed up for next week and would like to be, call or email Zelda at the office by next Monday, November 12th and mail in your payment. (one week is $20 veg only, or $26 veg plus flowers).

EXTRA BOXES are available for next week. If you would like to receive two (or more) boxes instead of your usual one, give us a call or email. There will be plenty of things in next weeks box that will keep much longer than a week, so be thinking ahead to your upcoming feasts. Availability is limited so contact us sooner than later. The cost is $20 per extra box and payment can be mailed to our PO Box.

Gift certificates are available (to be used during the 2008 season) for those who are already in the gift giving mindset! Any increments are available, but the most popular is the 4 week trial - $80 for just the veggies, or $104 includes veggies plus flowers.

A one time only, "Yuletide" box is being offered for the week before Christmas. All boxes must be prepaid, by check. Cost will be $25. We will only be delivering to one pick up site in each general area. You must be able to pick up the box on the scheduled day and within in the scheduled time frame: 5-7pm. These are dependent on weather: the farmers say: yes! to this idea unless there is incredibly horrible weather.

The content of the boxes will be "mysteries" but most likely will include winter squash, potatoes, carrots, cooking greens, fennel, leeks, and more. Contact Zelda to confirm:831-786-0625, csa@twosmallfarms.com; and mail in your check to Two Small Farms, PO Box 2065, Watsonville, CA 95077.____________________________________

5) Redman House Farm Stand Open Weekends Through the Winter

Operated by High Ground Organics in Watsonville, just off of Hwy 1 and the Riverside Drive exit. It will be open on the weekends through the winter. They will also be offering some of Mariquita Farm items as well.____________________________________

Ventana Wilderness Alliance is a favorite charity of many of us here at Two Small Farms. The benefit event is this Sunday, November 11th starting at 5:30 pm in Monterey at Stokes Restaurant and Bar. It is $65 per person which includes tax and tip but not beverages. For more info, go to our web page .You can call or email Zelda at the office to make your reservation: 831-786-0625, csa@twosmallfarms.com

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the sunschokes well to remove all the dirt. Pat them dry, rub with oil and then put them in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until just tender. Prick with the point of a knife to check. The whole sunchoke will just begin to give a little. Serve immediately. To eat, cut in half and dot with butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper if desired.

Sunchokes! note from julia

I photographed them, then peeled some, scrubbed others, and had 1.5 # of sunchokes so I decided to to a quick cooking of them. I found a great recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. I found that peeling the 'chokes was easiest with a sharp paring knife. Scrubbing them was also easy, you can decide which you prefer. It might depend on what you want your final dish to look like. A rustic saute that will be sprinkled with seeds and parsley doesn't really need the pure white of peeled sunchokes; a creamy white soup might want the roots to be peeled.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sunchokes and drop them in salted, boiling water. Cook them until they feel tender, but not mushy when prodded with a fork. Ten minutes after the water returns to a boil, check them frequently because they tend to go from very firm to very soft in a brief span of time. Drain when done, and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/2-inch slices.

Smear the bottom of a baking dish with butter, then place the sunchoke slices in it, arranging them so they overlap slightly, roof tile fashion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the grated Parmesan, dot with butter and place the dish on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven. Bake until a light golden crust begins to form on top. Allow to settle for a few minutes out of the oven before serving. Yield: 4 servings

Scrub the sunchokes very well. You don't have to peel them if you are sure you've removed all the dirt. I used a plastic dobie pad I'd microwaved briefly. You may peel them if you wish, but you'll need more sunchokes to make up for the loss of the mass of the peel. Grate the sunchokes into a medium bowl. Squeeze the water out of the sunchokes with your fists after they've been grated and drain. Ok, you could wrap them in a paper towel before squeezing, but it's not nearly as satisfying as going bareback.

Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion. Mix well. Add some of the mayonnaise and mix until the whole is thoroughly moist, but not soupy. It should look like a slightly dry tuna salad. If still to dry, continue to add mayo until it reaches the consistency you desire. Taste and adjust seasonings. Toast bread. Lay down a few spinach leaves on a slice of toast, just enough to protect the bread from the mayo in the salad. Spread as much as you wish of the salad (up to a 1/3 of the total) on top of the layer of spinach. Top with two slices of tomato, and 1/3 cup of spinach. Add the second slice of bread, cut diagonally and serve. Repeat with rest of ingredients to make three sandwiches.

In medium saucepan, bring the squash and stock to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain the soup and reserve the liquid. In a food processor, puree the solids with 1 cup of the reserved liquid.

In medium saucepan, warm the oil over low heat. Stir in the spices and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until aromatic. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the puree and 1 cup of reserved liquid. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk, salt and pepper. (There should be about 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid left over, use in other soups you may be cooking this week).

Julia's winter squash/pumpkin preparations: "I put cut up pieces (large ones) already seeded into my crock pot for 2 or so hours on high. When a fork can easily pierce the squash/pumpkin pieces, I remove it and scrape the flesh into my food processor and whirl a bit. Then I freeze in 1 and 2 cup increments. Soup and pie are obvious and delicious choices, I also put 1 cup of this puree into nearly every batch of muffins, waffles, cookies, pancakes, biscuits etc. that I make. I just take an existing recipe and add my cup of squash puree. It nearly always works, and my kids are none the wiser. "

Some thoughts about celery, from D. Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone: "Celery used to be served at almost every meal, presented in a relish tray or celery vase. It is still enjoyed mainly raw, as a crudites and in salads, where it's crispness is appreciated. But it's also ubiquitous in soups and stocks and appears frequently in stuffing’s and stir fries. Cooking softens its tendency to be a little bossy."

In a soup pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the onions and celery, cover and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the water, cover and bring to a simmer.

In a blender, combine the milk, both cheeses and puree until very smooth. Stir the puree into the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently and serve hot.

Trim tatsoi bases to separate leaves and rinse. Cut apart the bulbs from the green parts of the green onions. Mince the bulbs and thin slice the greens. Combine the bulbs with the lemon juice, mustard and salt, stirring to dissolve the salt. Blend in the oil.

Pour dressing into a very wide skillet over moderate heat. Add tatsoi and turn to coat with dressing (tongs are most efficient). Cook until leaves almost wilt but stems retain a crunch, about 2 minutes. Add scallion greens and toss. Arrange tatsoi on a rectangular plate and pour over any dressing that remains in the pan. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Preparation1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a baking pan, then cover with foil and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and let sit until cool enough to handle, then use a spoon to scoop out the cooked squash from the peel. Mash with a fork. Measure out 1 cup of the squash and set aside any remaining for future use (see Notes).

2. Turn oven down to 325°. Butter an 8- by 8-in. baking pan and set aside.

4. With a mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth and a bit fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the cup of mashed squash. Add remaining flour mixture and stir just enough to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don't have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletterout as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blogpage: http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/

FOR Americans who have been looking to Congress to reform the food system, these past few weeks have been, well, the best of times and the worst of times. A new politics has sprouted up around the farm bill, traditionally a parochial piece of legislation thrashed out in private between the various agricultural interests (wheat growers versus corn growers; meatpackers versus ranchers) without a whole lot of input or attention from mere eaters.

Not this year. The eaters have spoken, much to the consternation of farm-state legislators who have fought hard - and at least so far with success - to preserve the status quo.

Americans have begun to ask why the farm bill is subsidizing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils at a time when rates of diabetes and obesity among children are soaring, or why the farm bill is underwriting factory farming (with subsidized grain) when feedlot wastes are polluting the countryside and, all too often, the meat supply. For the first time, the public health community has raised its voice in support of overturning farm policies that subsidize precisely the wrong kind of calories (added fat and added sugar), helping to make Twinkies cheaper than carrots and Coca-Cola competitive with water. Also for the first time, the international development community has weighed in on the debate, arguing that subsidized American exports are hobbling cotton farmers in Nigeria and corn farmers in Mexico.

On Capitol Hill, hearings on the farm bill have been packed, and newspapers like The San Francisco Chronicle are covering the legislation as closely as The Des Moines Register, bringing an unprecedented level of attention to what has long been one of the most obscure and least sexy pieces of legislation in Congress.Sensing the winds of reform at his back, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, told a reporter inJuly: "This is not just a farm bill. It's a food bill, and Americans who eat want a stake in it."

Right now, that stake is looking more like a toothpick. Americans who eat have little to celebrate in the bill that Mr. Harkin is expected to bring to the floor this week. Like the House bill passed in July, the Senate product is very much a farm bill in the tradition- al let-them-eat-high-fructose-corn-syrup mold.

For starters, the Old Guard on both agriculture committees has managed to preserve the entire hoary contraption of direct payments, countercyclical payments and loan deficiency payments that subsidize the five big commodity crops - corn, wheat, rice, soybeans and cotton- to the tune of $42 billion over five years.

The Old Guard has also managed to add a $5 billion "permanent disaster" program (excuse me, but isn't a permanent disaster a contradiction in terms?) to help farmers in the High Plains struggling to grow crops in a drought-prone region that, as the chronic need for disaster aid suggests, might not be the best place to grow crops.

When you consider that farm income is at record levels (thanks to the ethanol boom, itself fueled by another set of federal subsidies); that the World Trade Organization has ruled that several of these subsidies are illegal; that the federal government is broke and the president is threatening a veto, bringing forth a $288 billion farm bill that guarantees billions in payments to commodity farmers seems impressively defiant.

How could this have happened? For starters, farm bill critics did a far better job demonizing subsidies, and depicting commodity farmers as welfare queens, than they did proposing alternative - and politically appealing - forms of farm support. And then the farm lobby did what it has always done: bought off its critics with "programs." For that reason "Americans who eat" can expect some nutritious crumbs from the farm bill, just enough to ensure that reform-minded legislators will hold their noses and support it.

It's an old story: the "hunger lobby" gets its food stamps so long as the farm lobby can have its subsidies. Similar, if less lavish, terms are now being offered to the public health and environmental "interests" to get them on board. That's why there's more money in this farm bill for nutrition programs and, for the first time, about$2 billion to support "specialty crops" - farm-bill-speak for the kind of food people actually eat. (Since California grows most of the nation's specialty crops, this was the price for the state delegation's support. Cheap indeed!)

There's also money for the environment: an additional $4 billion in the Senate bill to protect wetlands and grasslands and reward farmers for environmental stewardship, and billions in the House bill for environmental cleanup. There's an important provision in both bills that will make it easier for schools to buy food from local farmers.And there's money to promote farmers' markets and otherwise support the local food movement.

But as important as these programs are, they are just programs - mere fleas on the elephant in the room. The name of that elephant is the commodity title, the all-important subsidy section of the bill. It dictates the rules of the entire food system. As long as the commodity title remains untouched, the way we eat will remain unchanged.

The explanation for this is straightforward. We would not need all these nutrition programs if the commodity title didn't do such a good job making junk food and fast food so ubiquitous and cheap. Food stamps are crucial, surely, but they will be spent on processed rather than real food as long as the commodity title makes calories of fat and sugar the best deal in the supermarket. We would not need all these conservation programs if the commodity title, by paying farmers by the bushel, didn't encourage them to maximize production with agrochemicals and plant their farms with just one crop fence row to fence row.

And the government would not need to pay feedlots to clean up the water or upgrade their manure pits if subsidized grain didn't make rearing animals on feedlots more economical than keeping them on farms. Why does the farm bill pay feedlots to install waste treatment systems rather than simply pay ranchers to keep their animals on grass, where the soil would be only too happy to treat their waste at no cost?

However many worthwhile programs get tacked onto the farm bill to buy off its critics, they won't bring meaningful reform to the American food system until the subsidies are addressed - until the underlying rules of the food game are rewritten. This is a conversation that the Old Guard on the agriculture committees simply does not want to have, at least not with us.

But its defiance on the subsidy question may actually be a sign of weakness, for one detects a note of defensiveness creeping into the rhetoric. "I know people on the outside can sit and complain about this," Representative Collin Peterson of Minnesota, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told The San Francisco Chronicle last summer. "But frankly most of those people have no clue what they're talking about. Most people in the city have no concept of what's going on here."

It seems more likely that, this time around, people in the city and all across the country know exactly what's going on - they just don't like it.

Mr. Peterson's farm bill passed the House by the smallest margin in years, and might have been picked apart on the floor if Representative Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, hadn't leapt to its defense.

(She claimed to be helping freshmen Democrats from rural districts.)

But Senate rules are different, and Mr. Harkin's bill will be challenged on the floor and very possibly improved. One sensible amendment that Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, and Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, are expected to introduce would put a $250,000 cap on the payments any one farmer can receive in a year. This would free roughly $1 billion for other purposes (like food stamps and conservation) and slow the consolidation of farms in the Midwest.

A more radical alternative proposed by Senator Richard Lugar, Republican of Indiana, and Senator Frank Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, would scrap the current subsidy system and replace it with a form of free government revenue insurance for all American farmers and ranchers, including the ones who grow actual food. Commodity farmers would receive a payment only when their income dropped more than 15 percent as the result of bad weather or price collapse. The $20 billion saved under this plan, called the Fresh Act, would go to conservation and nutrition programs, as well as to deficit reduction.

What finally emerges from Congress depends on exactly who is paying closest attention next week on the Senate floor and then later in the conference committee. We know the American Farm Bureau will be on the case, defending the commodity title on behalf of those who benefit from it most: the biggest commodity farmers, the corporations who sell them chemicals and equipment and, most of all, the buyers of cheap agricultural commodities - companies like Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Coca-Cola and McDonald's.

In the past that alliance could have passed a farm bill like this one without breaking a sweat. But the politics of food have changed, and probably for good. If the eaters and all the other "people on the outside" make themselves heard, we just might end up with something that looks less like a farm bill and more like the food bill a poorly fed America so badly needs.

Michael Pollan, a contributing writer at The Times Magazine and a professor of journalism at the University of California at Berkeley, is the author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and the forthcoming "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto."

How to store this week's bounty: all but the butternut squash should go in the fridge in plastic bags. The butternut squash should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place.

Mizuna is a mustard green and can be used in most recipes calling for cooking greens. I like to throw roughly chopped mizuna into many soups: chicken soup, miso soup, potato soup etc. It's also good lightly steamed then tucked into quesadillas for a quick and nutritious meal. (For a lower fat meal, make sure those cheese slices are thin.) Mizuna leaves are great torn into a green salad or tossed into stir fry or fried rice. I've seen mizuna steamed and then served under broiled fish.

Escarole is a crunchy green with a bit more heft than lettuce, and it makes a great salad: on it's own simply dressed or tossed with 10 other things to make a grand main course salad. In my heart though I'm a cooked greens fan, always. I like escarole cooked up with garlic in my Standard Cooked Greens Recipe: garlic, oil, heat, cleaned cooking greens: apply together and you have a great side dish or taco stuffing--- Julia......__________________________________

2) Experiment, a letter from Andy

The only time that an experiment is a failure is when it is organized so poorly that nothing can be learned. To keep the C.S.A. program interesting for both you and me, I experiment with new crops every year. And the results are in. I'm pleased to announce that my winter squash experiment was a success, and I've learned why two of the three new breeds of squash that I grew this year will never be suitable to deliver to you.

Every experiment starts with a control, against which the results can be compared. In your share box this week you are receiving a Butternut squash, which served as the control squash for my experiment. Butternut squash is a known quantity; they grow vigorously, set fruit reliably, and the fruits are sweet and long-lasting. In fact, one year I had a Butternut squash sitting on my counter from the previous year's harvest the day I began the new harvest. We cooked it, and it was great! Butternut squash is a Cucurbita moschata cultivar. The question I asked myself was, "Are there other squash from the Cucurbita moschata group that might taste even better than the Butternut?" So I bought seed for the Zuccha Piena di Napoli, the Zucchetta Rampicante, and the Zuccha Rugosa, three Italian heirloom squash that can be considered kissing cousins of the Butternut.Photo 1. is a family portraitof the different breeds of Cucurbita moschata. You can see the family resemblance. If the Piena di Napoli was tan, instead of green, it would resemble a gigantic Butternut. If the Rugosa was smooth-skinned, rather than rough-skinned and ribbed, it would exactly resemble a Butternut, and if the neck on the Rampicante was short and fat, instead of long and skinny, it too, would look like a Butternut. In the field, because these are all heirloom , open-pollinated breeds, we sometimes find tan Piena di Napoli, smooth Rugosa, and stumpy-necked Rampicante.Photo 2. Here is a cute picture of Caitlin holding a Piena di Napoli. It is obvious why this squash will never work for our C.S.A. deliveries. Caitlin is strong, but each of the squash she is holding weighs thirty pounds, and there are some in the pile that weigh over forty pounds. Since I harvested a ton of these squash I'm looking for restaurants that might want to buy them.Photo 3. Here we see the goats and donkeys eating the Zucchetta Rampicante. The Rampicante are inappropriate for C.S.A. deliveries on two counts. First, the are long and funny shaped. They're interesting to look at, but they don't fit in the box. Also, sad to say, they taste bland. The goats like them though. That's good, because I've got two tons of them to get rid of. I'm told that squash seeds have anthelmintic properties- that is, they're useful in expelling stomach worms. Since the Barber Pole worm is an insidious threat to goats, I just may have grown my goats an organic antidote. Imagine being able to feed your kids at home medicine they would fight over! (ps, Sweet Pea the young donkey is 1 year old today, Oct. 30th. She is perplexed by the rolling squash in this photo. Her mom and the goats knew what to do though!)Photo 4. My fall squash display in my yard is dramatic. The experiment was a success, and Julia and I have really been enjoying the Rugosa.

Our last week for delivering veggies is the week of November 14/15/16. Your last scheduled delivery is noted next to your name on the sign in sheet at your pick up site. If you are not signed up for our last two weeks and would like to be, call or email Zelda at the office by next Monday, November 5th and mail in your payment. (two weeks is $40 veg only, or $52 veg plus flowers). Office line and email are: 831-786-0625 or csa@twosmallfarms.com

Also, if you have an outstanding balance, please send in your payment to our PO Box 2065 in Watsonville, CA 95077.

A long-time San Diego organic farmer lost their home and a large part of their farmland went up in the flames from the wildfires. We are collaborating with a couple other local CSA farms and taking donations. If interested, mail checks payable directly to Be Wise Ranch 9018 Artesian Rd. San Diego, CA 92127 (Note: these are not tax deductable, it's just you trusting Bill the farmer that he will get every penny to the employees who are in need, with no strings attached. We're certain there are great non-profits doing great work where your donations can be claimed on taxes such as Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. )Further details on their story

Ventana Wilderness Alliance is a favorite charity of many of us here at Two Small Farms. The benefit event is Sunday, November 11th starting at 5:45 pm in Monterey at Stokes Restaurant and Bar. It is $65 per person which includes tax and tip but not beverages. For more info, go to our web page. You can call or email Zelda at the office to make your reservation: 831-786-0625, csa@twosmallfarms.com

Also, on November 15th, The Valley of Heart's Delight project in Palo Alto is presenting its second annual 100-Mile Thanksgiving Celebration - an evening of food, fun, and discussion. Two Small Farms will be just two of the farms donating vegetables for the meal. Eat Thanksgiving dishes prepared with organic and locally grown food, and discuss what's involved in preparing a Thanksgiving dinner from food grown from within 100 miles of Palo Alto. The event is held at Conexions, 1023 Corporation Way in Palo Alto on Thursday, November 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Cost is $40 or $35 for Conexions members, seniors and low-income. Pre-registration is required. For more information and for registration, contact Susan Stansbury at sstansbury@conexions.org , call (650) 938-9300 (x11) or register on-line.

I put cut up pieces (large ones) already seeded into my crock pot for 2 or so hours on high. When a fork can easily pierce the squash/pumpkin pieces, I remove it and scrape the flesh into my food processor and whirl a bit. Then I freeze in 1 and 2 cup increments. Soup and pie are obvious and delicious choices, I also put 1 cup of this puree into nearly every batch of muffins, waffles, cookies, pancakes, biscuits etc. that I make. I just take an existing recipe and add my cup of squash puree. It nearly always works, and my kids are none the wiser.Tagliolini con la Zucca (Pumpkin Pasta), adapted from the Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces by Diane Seed

Melt half the butter and add the chopped leek and celery. Peel the pumpkin (or butternut!) and remove seeds and any stringy fibers. (none in these puppies, don't worry.) Cut the pumpkin into thin slices. (or skip the peeling/cutting and roast and puree the whole thing like I did. see notes above for that option.)

Add pumpkin in slices or as a puree to leek and celery and stir for a few minutes. Add a little stock and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin slices are cooked through. OR cook for a shorter while if using the puree. Add more stock from time to time if necessary to keep moist. Check the seasoning and add S & P and nutmeg to taste. Process in a food processor (I used my stick blender!). Return to the pan to keep warm.

Cook the pasta according to directions, and avoid overcooking. Fresh pasta will only need a few minutes, so add the cream to the sauce as soon as you have thrown the pasta into the boiling water. Drain the pasta and place in a heated dish. Stir in the freshly grated cheese and then the pumpkin sauce. Mix well, add the rest of the butter, and serve at once.Mizuna is a mustard green and can be used in most recipes calling for cooking greens. I like to throw roughly chopped mizuna into many soups: chicken soup, miso soup, potato soup etc. It's also good lightly steamed then tucked into quesadillas for a quick and nutritious meal. (For a lower fat meal, make sure those cheese slices are thin.) Mizuna leaves are great torn into a green salad or tossed into stir fry or fried rice. I've seen mizuna steamed and then served under broiled fish.Hot Garlic Dressing over Greens, Gourmet1/3 cup olive oil4 garlic cloves, minced1/4 cup cider vinegar1 1/2 lb greens (such as beet, mizuna, and mustard)

Heat oil and garlic in a small saucepan over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and immediately pour over greens. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Serve right away.

Escarole:I'm a fan of escarole. It's a crunchy green with a bit more heft than lettuce, and it makes a great salad: on it's own simply dressed or tossed with 10 other things to make a grand main course salad. In my heart though I'm a cooked greens fan, always. I like escarole cooked up with garlic in my Standard Cooked Greens Recipe: garlic, oil, heat, cleaned cooking greens: apply together and you have a great side dish or taco stuffing--- Julia......Julia's Escarole Sausage Dinner Soup

Up to a pound of sausage of just about any kind (half a pound, even a quarter pound is fine for the flavor, you could also use 2-4 slices bacon here, and of course this is easily skipped for a vegetarian version.)1-2 onions or leeks cleaned and diced2-6 garlic cloves minced or roughly chopped1-2 cups cooked beans (white, pinto, garbanzo.... yes, it's fine to use a can of beans!)1 can diced tomatoes (about 2 cups or 15 oz.)2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)Parmesan rind, if available2-5 cups cleaned chopped escarole or other cooking green such as chard, mizuna, kale, spinach...

Brown the sausage, drain off excess fat if there's lots, then remove the sausage for just a bit. Add the onions to brown in the sausage drippings and cook until translucent then add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more. Then quickly add the beans and tomatoes and broth and parmesan rind. Add the sausage back and bring the pot to a low boil. Then add the cooking greens and cook through. (3-4 minutes for escarole, less for young spinach, more for kale or collards....) Serve.Italian Wedding Soup with Quinoa and Escarole, from CSA member Alexis

In a large stock pot sauté the onions and garlic over low heat until caramelized. Add the turnips and caramelize a bit. Add the broth and bring to a boil and add the escarole and quinoa. When the escarole is soft, and the quinoa chewy, drop the meatballs in one by one. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the eggs and parmesan like egg drop soup, stirring as it is poured in.

In a large skillet heat oil and add garlic and shallots. Saute until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add fennel, water and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until fennel is tender-crisp. If any liquid is remaining in skillet, cook uncovered until absorbed. Add butter to skillet, then stir in mushrooms and saute until they are soft. Add sour cream and fennel tops. Cook until just heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle paprika and parsley over the top before serving. Serves 4 to 6; serve over rice for a complete meal or alone as a side dish.Leek, Fennel and Poppy Seed Tart,Bon Appetit

Gather young fronds, avoiding the very thick, tougher stems. Lay all in one direction in a basket. If you can gather some of the tender, light green hearts, lay these separately. Once home, rinse gently in a large bowl of water a few times. Parboil in unsalted water for about15 minutes (or until the thickest stems crush easily), adding the fennel hearts at the last 5 minutes. Or steam them until tender. This step is necessary as the fennel stems can be quite hard. In the meantime, tear or cut the bread into small pieces and moisten with a little broth, taking care not to wet them too much. Just enough so that they are no longer hard. Drain (or remove with tongs to keep stems in one direction) and rinse gently with cold water. Drain again and lay in a cloth towel and pat gently to dry somewhat. Starting from the ends of the stems, mince finely as if chopping chives.

With a fork, mash the bread somewhat, season with a little pepper and blend in the beaten egg. Add the cheese and the minced fennel, stirring well with a fork to blend. Take a rounded tablespoon and form to a cake. If it doesn't hold, add a little more beaten egg. The mass should not be too dry nor very wet. Fry in a little olive oil until lightly browned on both sides. Drain and serve if you like as I prefer with a little room temperature yogurt to which I have added a little minced garlic. Note: serve these with poached, scrambled egg or a plain omelette or with smoked salmon, fresh salmon or perch filets. You can also add the minced garlic to the minced fennel together or in the yoghurt sauce. Both are delicious.Variation: don't have enough fennel? Make up the rest with minced parsley, however do not blanch the parsley leaves but do blanch the stems at the last 5 minutes of blanching the fennel fronds. Also, a cooked potato can replace part of the bread. These cakes will taste somewhat differently, but also delicious! Dill alone, or other tender herbs such as chervil mixed with parsley leaves make very tasty herb patties. In this case, no parboiling is necessary. I just lightly steam them for a minute or so to wilt before continuing the recipe.

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